By: Grace Pettee ’20
Pine Crest Upper School students have a variety of art classes and student-produced publications available to them. We are encouraged to be creative and step outside of the box, and having spent his Upper School career combining his interests for digital art and photography, Gabriel Sareli ’20, better known as Gabe, is no exception. As a new student to Pine Crest in ninth grade, Gabe decided to take digital art as an elective.
“I think the reason I decided to take digital art was that I really wanted to learn how to use Adobe Photoshop,” said Gabe. “I thought it was a cool skill that I could use in the future. Within the first month, I knew that I liked the creative aspect of digital arts. I was able to imagine something and learn how to produce it within a couple of days.”
With a strong foundation in Photoshop, Gabe was able to create posters for events like TEDxPineCrestSchool and business cards and logos for friends. However, during his junior year, Gabe decided to blend his new skills with photography.
“My grandpa always liked photography,” said Gabe. “He had shown me his digital camera a couple of times, which kind of paved the way for my liking toward photography. I grew up with extremely poor eyesight, so being able to see the world was not always attainable for me. Of course, glasses changed that, but I feel that photography has given me a second awakening.”
Gabe started small, shooting with friends and family around town and at events. But soon, it became more serious when Gabe applied for the National Geographic Summer Photography Program.
“I was looking for something to do during the summer and wound up on the National Geographic site,” said Gabe. “I had always loved to travel, and it seemed like a great opportunity. I applied in December and heard back from than in April.”
Gabe was selected to travel to New Zealand and study photography with National Geographic mentors.
“In New Zealand, the mentors showed me a different side of photography,” said Gabe. “Learning how to zoom in properly, focus the lens, and appreciate the stills, I was able to expand my range of perspective. One night in New Zealand, head photography expert, Jason Edwards took me into a field in the middle of the night. We began walking, and found the perfect place to photograph the night sky. We stood in that spot for the next four hours and captured some amazing images.
View this post on InstagramA post shared by Gabe Sareli (@gabesareli) on
From there, Gabe continued traveling and spent time in Japan.
“My family always liked to travel and see the world,” said Gabe. “With my camera, I was able to share my adventures with friends and family back home. But more than that, I was able to capture the daily lives of natives within one second, and have it live in the photo forever.”
After returning home from his summer travels, Gabe wanted to take his photography to the next level.
“I invested in some better gear, the camera I had was 20 years old, and then launched my website to display my portfolio,” said Gabe. “I was able to share my favorite part of photography with others — being able to alter someone's perspective of a scene with just a few changes in settings or the composure of the shot, is what captivates me the most about it.”
Gabe has been a featured photographer on National Geographic’s Instagram account and is also a Scholastic Art & Writing Awards Silver Key recipient. He will continue his career in photography at the University of Miami where he will be studying entrepreneurship in combination with photography.
“Really, my main drive to take photos comes from my newfound ability to share with others what I see today. I loved art, and photography was the right fit for me. I’m excited to see where else it can take me.”
